Nicaragua: Essential information

Central America's largest country, Nicaragua remains one of its least visited: great news for adventurous travellers. Despite the renaissance in South American travel, the country is still best known for the 1979 Sandanista revolution. Traditional tourist attractions are in short supply, but the scenery is spectacular.

Central America's largest country, Nicaragua is nevertheless one of the least visited in the isthmus. Though not great news for its tourist industry, this makes the country an excellent destination for adventurous visitors.

The capital, Managua, home to around a quarter of the country's population of five million, lies about 50km inland from the Pacific on Lago de Managua, and is situated on no fewer than 11 geological faultlines. Destroyed by an earthquake in 1972, its reconstruction was haphazard and it remains a city without a centre. Most tourists know it only as a stopover on the way to the lake or the more interesting towns of Granada (the oldest Spanish city in Central America) or Masaya (the country's arts and crafts centre).

Despite the renaissance in South American travel, Nicaragua is still best known for the 1979 Sandanista revolution. Traditional tourist attractions such as galleries and temples are in short supply after years of conflict and natural disasters: earthquakes and hurricanes have levelled much of the country's colonial architecture.

The natural scenery, however, is spectacular: Nicaragua is home to several active volcanoes, vast areas of rainforest and, in Lago de Nicaragua, the largest freshwater body in South America - not to mention a good few beaches. Scuba dive on the Caribbean coast, surf on the Pacific coast or hike up volcanoes in the central region. Ecotourism is also beginning to make itself felt.

News and current affairs

Language

The official language is Spanish. English and several indigenous languages, predominately Miskito, are spoken on the Atlantic coast.

Climate

Nicaragua has two seasons, dry and wet. The rainy season runs roughly from May to November. From coast to coast the climate varies greatly - the Pacific lowlands are hot and dry while the sparsely populated Atlantic lowlands are humid and very wet throughout the year. The mountainous central region is drier and cooler.

Health

Food

Cuisine is centred around meat - beef, pork or chicken - which is invariably served with either beans or rice. Outside fruit season, vegetarians may find themselves limited to the classic Nicaraguan dish of 'gallo pinto' (fried rice and beans). There is good seafood to be found on the coasts and freshwater fish around Lago de Nicaragua.

Events

Semana Santa (Holy Week) in April is when all Nicaraguans head to the beach. The festival is accompanied by the traditionally flamboyant penitence in which Latin countries specialise. Each town also has its own patron saint and marks the saint's day with a carnival atmosphere.

What to buy

There are financial benefits to getting off the beaten track: Masaya in particular has some of the best-value arts and crafts in Central America.

The markets in Managua are famed for their rocking chairs and hammocks.

Embassies and visas

UK: Nicaraguan Embassy: 36 Upper Brook Street, London, W1Y 1PE (020 7409 2536).
Nicaragua: British Embassy, Reparto Los Robles, Primera Etapa Entrada Principal de la Carretera a Masaya Cuarta Casa a Mano Derecha, Managua (00 505 2 780014).
Visa Requirements: Citizens of the UK and the US do not need visas and are given a 90-day tourist card on arrival. Australians and New Zealanders will require either visas or a 30-day tourist card.

Currency

£1 buys approx. 20 New Cordoba.

Timezone

GMT -6 hours.

Related Literature

Coffee and Power, Jeffery M. Paige: An analysis of the recent political history of Costa Rica, El Salvador and Nicaragua as influenced by a single commodity, coffee.

The Jaguar Smile, Salman Rushdie: A travelogue of a country in the midst of revolution.

Sandinista, Matilde Zimmermann: The first English-language biography of Carlos Fonseca Amador, leader of the Sandinista National Liberation Front of Nicaragua.